Jean-Claude Juncker: Castro ‘a hero for many’

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the former Cuban President Fidel Castrowas the "symbol of an era," according to a statement released on Saturday by the Kremlin and cited by AFP news agency.

The last leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev hailed the deceased Cuban leader as a "prominent politician," who had strengthened his country.

During his half-century rule, Castro embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 U.S. presidents. His younger brother and current Cuban president announced on state television that Fidel had died late Friday. He was 90.

"Fidel stood up and strengthened his country during the harshest American blockade, when there was colossal pressure on him and he still took his country out of this blockade and on a path of independent development," Gorbachev said according to a report by Interfax news agency.

Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni sent condolences in a tweet early Saturday, saying, "With Fidel Castro's [death] a great and dramatic chapter of the 20th century's history draws to a close. We are close to the Cuban people who look to the future."

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also tweeted on Castro's death, saying that Fidel was a "figure of historic significance."

A statement by the Spanish foreign ministry said: "A figure of great historic importance has gone, a man who brought about a turning point in the country’s evolution and whose great influence was felt across the region."

As a son of Spanish parents, Cuba's former president "always maintained strong links with Spain and was bound by ties of blood and culture," the statement also said.

"He changed the course of his country and his influence reached far beyond," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement.

With his death, "the world has lost a man who was a hero for many," Juncker said, adding that Fidel Castro's "legacy will be judged by history."

French President François Hollande said Castro was a "towering figure of the 20th century."

"He incarnated the Cuban revolution, in both its hopes and subsequent disillusionment," Hollande said in a statement in Le Figaro newspaper, adding that France has condemned both, human rights abuses in Cuba and decades of U.S. sanctions against the island nation.

Related stories on these topics:

I wonder if Donald Trump is working on putting a hotel up in Cuba now.

Posted on 11/26/16 | 2:24 PM CET

Observer

Mr. Junckers stamtent about Castro just proves that Juncker is one dictator who hails another dictator. For Mr. Juncker also Stalin, Breznew and Pol Pot are heroes.

Posted on 11/26/16 | 7:37 PM CET

Corni

Now is more than clear why Trump was victor in the last American elections. Because he just said what he thinks, not what is politically correct. Pathetic to learn about all western leaders making from Fidel Castro a hero instead of recognizing that was part of the worst echelon of brutal dictators as Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot or Mao. The world became a better one when all these vanished in disgrace.

Posted on 11/26/16 | 7:57 PM CET

bobby1122

praise from foreign leaders of Castro, a murdering torturing dictator whose country was kept alive by handouts from Russia – The socialist dream gone bad- Does Raul get the $ 8 BILLION in secret bank accounts?

Posted on 11/26/16 | 10:27 PM CET

rick kidron

Fidel had a long enough time as a totalitarian dictator that he can be fairly judged by his results. Fidel’s career was built on a denial of political freedom, economic freedom, and personal liberty to his citizens. The result of his rule is that Cuba became one of the world’s poorest nations.

Posted on 11/27/16 | 1:12 AM CET

lefil22

Trump admires the KGB communist-dictator Vladimir Putin.

Posted on 11/27/16 | 6:13 AM CET

Justice

If juncker gets his way and creates a Waffen EU of political soldiers may God help us all

Posted on 11/27/16 | 7:07 AM CET

Percy Pullman

Americans and Europeans with two contrasting versions of history. Fidel Castro a hero around the world or a “fascist dictator” according to some US right-wing commentators. Bridge that gap if you can in how history is written; usually re-written by the winners.

Cuba an island 17 miles off the coast of Florida that came close to starting WW3 with the US-Russian Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Kennedy used US maritime blockage to stop Russian cargo ships delivering their missiles to Cuba.

TAK

Hilter and Stalin were heroes for many as well.
How stupid has to be Mr. Juncker to write this kind of words about mass murder and tyrant responsible for misery, terror and death so many people…

Posted on 11/27/16 | 1:25 PM CET

Savoy Truffle

Putin like Fidel Castro never accepted the idea of American exceptionalism as a force for moderation. Can you blame them? Perhaps Donald Trump may take a less hostile approach to Russia because Europeans do not wish for another hot or cold war to satisfy some corrupt oligarchs in Kiev.

The Syrian civil war escalating with dozens of external players like Turkey Kurdistan and Sunnis in a proxy war against Iran. Perhaps with so many failed states we should ask why our wars fail like invading Iraq in 2003 for the sake of regime change.

Posted on 11/27/16 | 1:30 PM CET

Ray Martinez

Wow..just wow! Reading these lame comments from European leaders has made me surer than ever, regarding who the real enemy is….let’s hope Europe has its own revolution hey junker! And kicks out all these weak leaders and EU dictators!

Posted on 11/27/16 | 3:02 PM CET

Ray Martinez

Castro made it illegal for people to assemble, protest, worship and use the internet. Shame on you and the #EU.
I am sure he was a EU hero come to think about it!! Wake up people, while you still can…

Posted on 11/27/16 | 3:05 PM CET

Bob

This man is no one’s hero. Trump said it right., he was a “brutal dictatror.

Posted on 11/27/16 | 6:02 PM CET

fatbob

@Observer

Very true.

I’m sure Mr Junkers will find history judges Castro the same way as it has the other murdering totalitarian communist leaders of the 20th C.

Posted on 11/27/16 | 6:57 PM CET

Keith Gallagher

I’m sure Mr. Juncker has forgotten another emblematic “hero for many”, at least in the first half of the 20th Century, namely Adolf Hitler.
Like Hitler, Castro has brought his people and his country to near extinction.
Like Hitler, Castro once brought mankind on the verge of total destruction, and it was just thanks to Khruschev that a nuclear war was avoided at the eleventh hour.
A “hero for many”, Mr. Juncker?… Really?… Why don’t you go to tell that to the Cubans who live in Florida, and see how they “welcome” you.
As for Fidel Castro, I can only say one thing: Good riddance!
Hopefully we’ll hear the same, as soon as possible, from North Korea. Whose leader, I’m sure Messrs. Junker and Trudeau will agree, is another “hero for many”.

Posted on 11/27/16 | 7:41 PM CET

jb

It’s frightening that brutal dictators responsible for deaths, torture, repressions of thousands of people and complete economic degradation of whole countries are called “heroes” by leaders of the EU.
May be communist roots of the EU (Altiero Spinelli) are an explanation of this dangerous phenomenon of praising criminals by EU officials ?

Posted on 11/27/16 | 9:29 PM CET

Reginald Bosanquet

Cubans are truly shocked to see the TV reports of the jubilant crowds in Florida celebrating the death of their hero Fidel Castro. Only in the USA people express such hatred of the Cuban revolutionary. Why? Because he never surrendered or removed by the USA despite many attempts.

Amazing that the USA a great nation founded by 1776 revolutionaries by defeating British can not understand that Cuba was David and the USA Goliath in the match of the century during the last Cold War. Even Jack Kennedy apologized in public for the Bay of Pigs illegal invasion of Cuba which remains a sovereign nation outside the US sphere of political influence; as with Russia and China.

Posted on 11/28/16 | 8:15 AM CET

aaaaa

That just shows dream of current euro(c)rats: totalitarian communism.

Posted on 11/28/16 | 11:00 AM CET

Dragan Segedin

Jean-Claude Juncker is definitely lost man. I start to be afraid that health certificate of the mental state of the majority of EU leaders incl. Junker could be negative if we will ask for it.